Kakadu to Lorella Springs, Lorella Springs to Adels Grove in Mid July
Submitted: Wednesday, Jun 13, 2018 at 14:57
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Travelling from
Kakadu to
Lorella Springs and then Adels Grove and looking for advice and road conditions. The options we am considering are:
Option1. Roper Hwy through Limmen NP,
Burketown Crossing,
Lorella Springs,
Borroloola,
Hells Gate, Adels Grove.
Option 2. Carpentaria Hwy to
Cape Crawford,
Lorella Springs,
Borroloola,
Hells Gate, Adels Grove.
Our plans then are
Burketown,
Normanton,
Karumba Point, Mt Isa,
Birdsville, Innamicka and then
home to
Melbourne.
We are planning on about 6 weeks and travelling in a 200 series landcruiser/Ultimate Camper.
Would appreciate thoughts on the Roper Hwy/Limmen NP road conditions versus Carpentaria Hwy to Lorella Springs and whether there are other
places to see in that area.
Cheers
Stephen
Reply By: CSeaJay - Wednesday, Jun 13, 2018 at 16:39
Wednesday, Jun 13, 2018 at 16:39
Stephen
It is a beautiful part of the country and I am jealous.
All options good, it depends on your personal preference. When we travel that parts, the road either side of the
NT/Qld border is usually the worst.
Option 1 is what I would choose.
Add into your itinerary to spend a day at
Mataranka (
Bitter Springs)
AnswerID:
619528
Follow Up By: 1154 - Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 17:26
Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 17:26
Hi CSeaJay
Having been to
Mataranka and
Bitter Springs before I agree it's a great place to spend a day. Subject to timing we might do so again. There's just so much to see.
Thanks for your
feedback.
cheers
FollowupID:
891839
Reply By: KevinE - Wednesday, Jun 13, 2018 at 21:24
Wednesday, Jun 13, 2018 at 21:24
Hi Stephen,
Re "Would appreciate thoughts on the Roper Hwy/Limmen NP road conditions versus Carpentaria Hwy to
Lorella Springs and whether there are other
places to see in that area."
The 2 roads are chalk & cheese. The Carpenteria Hwy is a sealed road. The Nathan River Road is the sort of road that people who haven't been there, imagine the
Gibb River Road to be (which the GRR in reality, is not)
Roper Bar is a very interesting little place.
Well worth the visit. Next stop down the track is Tomato Island, again,
well worth the visit.
There is also the "lost city"
But I'd put this road in the top 5 worst roads I've driven on.
The road from
Cape Crawford to
Lorella Springs & from
Lorella Springs to the Hwy on the way to Boroloola is considerably better.
Having said that, I really enjoyed driving the Nathan River Road!
AnswerID:
619539
Follow Up By: Member - lyndon NT - Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 07:56
Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 07:56
Far from the worst road I've driven on, but that said it's dirt, so it varies.
Roper to
Borroloola is a nice drive. Best traveled with a boat on top.
Roper Bar, Tomato Island, Limmen, King Ash are all fishing camps.
Still a great drive though. Depending on the time of day, stop and have a dip in the roadside
pool just short of Tomato Island
As said,
lost city is worth a visit.
Cheers
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: rumpig - Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 12:02
Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 12:02
Condition of the road likely depends on when people drive it...we did it very late in the dry season years ago (got to Lorella and Rhett the owner said the year previous he’d been closed for 2 weeks already), was some of the worst corrugations i’ve driven in all my travels out that way. Butterfly Springs which wasn’t mentioned is
well worth a visit, the spring itself was a stagnant
waterhole when we were there, but the thousands of butterflies on the
rock wall was amazing to see.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: 1154 - Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 17:39
Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 17:39
Thanks Kevin/Lyndon
Appreciate the
feedback. It's always interesting talking about road conditions. A few years back we did the Tanami, Cape Laveque and GBR. At that time compared to the Tanami the GBR was like a highway and yet other travellers on the GBR thought the GBR was pretty rough. The Tanami on that occasion was a real shocker!
Hopefully the the conditions on the Nathan river road won't be too bad in July. Is the Nathan river road sandy or rocky???
Cheers
Stephen
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Follow Up By: CSeaJay - Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 18:47
Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 18:47
Road conditions was not bad for us, could drive 80km/hr most of the way towing a van, obviously slowing down where required and with adjusted tyre pressures. The road just west of the Qld border to the
Hells gate roadhouse was the worst, but would not rate it in “my top X”
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Follow Up By: KevinE - Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 20:39
Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 20:39
"Road conditions was not bad for us, could drive 80km/hr most of the way towing a van, obviously slowing down where required and with adjusted tyre pressures. The road just west of the Qld border to the
Hells gate roadhouse was the worst, but would not rate it in “my top X"
That's the
Savannah Way CSeaJay. It's not the Nathan River Road. I'd rate it as a very good dirt road, in fact probably the best long dirt road I've ever driven on.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: KevinE - Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 20:43
Thursday, Jun 14, 2018 at 20:43
"Hopefully the the conditions on the Nathan river road won't be too bad in July. Is the Nathan river road sandy or rocky???"
I don't remember too much sand Stephen. It was more corrugated, like the roads you mention above.
FollowupID:
891847
Follow Up By: Member - lyndon NT - Monday, Jun 18, 2018 at 06:59
Monday, Jun 18, 2018 at 06:59
Yep, very little sand. The crossings are mostly
rock bottoms which is good, as you don't have to worry about getting bogged, just wobble around a bit
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